What is the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme?
The Shared Apprenticeship Scheme has been set up to help employers who want to support the development of skills while working on regional contracts, but are not in a position to offer a full term apprenticeship, and who wish to support training the future workforce.
Ten schemes are being developed across Great Britain, which will see 500 extra apprentices joining the UK’s construction industry workforce every year. See locations below.
How does it work?
Getting involved in the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme allows employers to dip in and out of apprentice training. The scheme allows you to take on an apprentice, for as short a duration as three months, with no commitment to the apprentice at the end.
Once the apprentice has finished working with an employer they are found another placement, and upon framework completion, they will be assisted in sourcing permanent employment within their chosen trade.
Benefits of the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme
The scheme allows employers to enjoy all the benefits of an apprentice, without any long-term risk or long-term cost to their business.
An apprentice who completes the full three-year apprenticeship will pick up an NVQ Level 3 in their chosen trade. Currently, around 90% of apprentices who complete the three years have secured full time employment in their chosen trade.
The Shared Apprenticeship Scheme allows employers to support and benefit from apprentices, even if they are unable to offer them a long term placement.
Find your nearest Shared Apprenticeship Scheme
Evolve
Evolve is a not-for-profit organisation which operates within London. It has been established in response to industry demand, as a way of providing construction contractors with an opportunity to meet local training obligations, and to maximise additional training opportunities for apprentices.
The Evolve board consists of constructors, consultants, and housing associations, providing the benefit of access to offices, local stakeholders and opportunities across the London area. The board partners have extensive experience of working with apprentices in the Built Environment.
“The Evolve Shared Apprenticeship Scheme is an excellent, independent initiative, which the London region has been crying out for. The scheme, and others like it, enables contractors such as Keepmoat to continue to provide local job opportunities on a national scale. The opportunities have always been there, but with tighter economical demands and shorter duration projects it has been extremely hard to provide continued career paths and extensions for the apprentices previously employed.
Evolve helps contractors who employ apprentices such as ourselves solve these issues and allows continued support for the individuals, a wider range of experiences and many more career path opportunities. An additional factor to the success of the scheme is the support and guidance given by CITB which has helped to create a strong partnering culture.”
Dave Cowell, Training Manager for Keepmoat
Contact Details
For further information please contact:
Evolve
Tel: 07740 485855
E-mail: info@evolveuk.org
Website: Visit the Evolve website
Calico’s Shared Apprenticeship Service - Constructing the Future
Constructing the Future (CtF) was first established in 2010 in partnership with CITB to run the Shared Apprenticeship Service across the North West region. It was established to help address the skills shortage within the construction sector by linking together construction projects across the region in order to create high quality, sustainable apprenticeships. CtF is operational across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Greater Manchester.
Constructing the Future is a part of The Calico Group, which consists of innovative charities and businesses working together to make social profit, rather than financial profit, the driving force behind their wide range of high quality services.
“The CtF shared apprentice scheme is ideal in its flexibility. It allows the apprentice to be placed with a mix of host contractors, providing a mix of training on different projects during the training. This allows the apprentice to build a broad base of skills and experience during the training. CtF has proven very useful in helping us to find the best solution to suit our needs, to find the best teams to deliver labour on shorter duration schemes, or in more remote areas. The process is user friendly - officers answer our recruitment brief by finding the appropriate apprentice according to our skills and demographic requirements”
Paul Woby, Regional Trainee Coordinator, Lovell
“We got involved in the shared apprenticeship programme because of its flexibility. If we get a busy period we can take a trainee on, but we aren’t financially committed for the normal length of an apprenticeship which is about three years. This lack of risk means we’re more likely to employ more apprentices in the future.
“We get invoiced for each apprentice by CtF rather than having to pay them through our payroll so we have less administration.
“We’re giving people a chance to get a position in the building industry when they might have otherwise struggled to find work.”
Gerard McEvoy, Director of Penny Lane Builders Ltd
Contact Details
For further information on CtF, please contact:
Rachel Donovan CtF Careers Service Manager
Tel: 07976 079544
Email: rdonovan@calico.org.uk
TrAC
TrAC is an employer-led initiative that has been set up with the specific aim of helping employers who aren't able to provide the 2-3 years employment typically required to help an apprentice finish their training. It is a not for profit company that has financial support from around 30 Main Contractor partners, and 8 Local Authority partners across the South and South East. Their partners include East Sussex County Council, Essex CC, Norfolk CC, Suffolk CC, Kent CC, Build East Sussex, Build Essex and Build Norfolk.
TrAC is currently operational in the South and East of England (Essex, Norfolk, Kent, Suffolk, East Sussex).
"The flexibility of the scheme, mixed with the opportunity it gives to young people finding their feet in a challenging industry is unique. As a company, some of our workload is comprised of short-term projects that don’t allow us to employ apprentices directly ourselves. Our involvement with TrAC enables us to continue our proud tradition of providing craftspeople with such training.
The team at TrAC are clearly committed to providing their trainees with the best possible chances to create a long-term career for themselves. This commitment is proven in the high standard of apprentices that TrAC employs, and by the ongoing monitoring and support that TrAC provide throughout each apprenticeship."
Jonathan Brookes, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Lakehouse
Contact Details
For further information, please contact:
TrAC
Paul Wright TrAC Project Manager
Tel: 01603 737739
Email: Paul@tracweb.co.uk
EN:Able Futures
EN:Able Futures is an award-winning Shared Apprenticeship Service across the Yorkshire & Humber region that employs apprentices for the full duration of their apprenticeship, making it easy for businesses that cannot commit to providing long-term employment, benefit from having an apprentice.
The team at EN:Able Futures are committed to providing the very best apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the region, giving one-to-one mentoring to ensure each apprentice has the opportunity to develop the skills and experience they need to be successful in their chosen careers.
EN:Able Futures is an operating subsidiary company of Efficiency North Holdings Limited, formally joining together after building a strong working relationship over four years that focused on providing positive outcomes for apprenticeships and employers across Yorkshire and Humber.
Contact Details
For Further information on EN:Able Futures, please contact:
EN:Able Futures Director of Operations: Julie Deeley
Tel: 07432 239150
Email: Julie.deeley@efficiencynorth.org
Shared Apprenticeships
Shared Apprenticeships is an SME, a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, a CITB Shared Apprenticeship Scheme, and an approved .Gov Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency.
We employ, mentor, and support young people from the local community on entry-level trade and technical apprenticeships in the South-West. Our apprentices are on paid work placements with quality contractors and studying with a local college or specialist training provider. We have great connections with key stakeholders, we support careers events at local schools, deliver supportive PR via our social media channels, and are proud of our Testimonials. In summary, we can support contractors with –
- Future Recruits – site-experienced / qualified and no recruitment fees on completion.
- Flexible Options – to suit local requirements including the duration of the work and mid-year starts.
- Easy-to-Use Service – wrap-around experienced support service for apprentices and contractors from a specialist apprentice agency.
- Entry-level Apprentices - Trades (L2), Quantity Surveying (L4), Civil Engineering (L3/4), Construction Design & Build (L4) and Site Management (L3/4).
Contact Details
Tel: 0117 298 0822
Email: Contactus@sharedapprenticeships.com
CoTrain
CoTrain is a not-for-profit shared apprenticeship scheme operating across the construction sector in the South of England (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex).
We recruit from the local area to the project and support you during the interview process. Our agreement with you works on a cost recovery basis invoicing a fixed monthly fee. This includes the apprentice salary, payroll management, travel allowance, college sign-up and fees. We also support the apprentice and line manager until the end of their apprenticeship.
“Using a shared scheme gives us flexibility. We’re able to use the initial two years of training to assess suitability of that apprentice in the longer term, with the ‘risk’ of early employment, HR support, progress monitoring and reporting, all managed by CoTrain."
Chris Harrison, Operations Director, Dandara Southern – read more about CoTrain
Contact details
Tel: 0118 9207 200
Email: apprenticeships@cotrain.org.uk
Website: Visit the CoTrain website
CoTrain is part of the SECBE family
Y Prentis
Y Prentis is a shared apprenticeship programme, sponsored by CITB and the Welsh Government, that employs apprentices on behalf of the industry and rotates them through hosted placements within construction companies.
It was set up in October 2012 and is owned by Melin Homes and CMC² and run by employment experts So Savi.